GUWAHATI : The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) authority in Assam, has decided to issue electronic
time cards to maintain speed of vehicles travelling along the national highway on the southern fringe
of the park to prevent flood-hit animals being crushed to death.
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), R B Saikia informed that electronic time cards would be issued
at Panbari animals corridor in the eastern range and at Amguri animal corridor in western rage to
the vehicles plying on the highway so that they won’t exceed the prescribed speed limit of 40 KM per
hour while passing along the national park. Heavy penalty will be levied on vehicles on the spot if
found flouting the speed limit.
Meanwhile, 32 speed breakers have been installed on the highway section along Kaziranga Park to check speed of vehicles. The Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the abode of one-horned Indian
Rhinoceros.
The park authority has decided to carpet the national highway section at Panbari animal corridor to
secure flood-hit animals movement across the highway given that many animals get injured or even die as they often slip while crossing the highway.
The authority has worked out a detail strategy to protect the park animals during the flood that is
looking imminent in coordination with local police and the fringe villager. The artificial highlands
constructed within the national park have been repaired to enable to animals take shelter in those
during flood.
Every year flood puts the animals in the park in dire straits as they try to flee to the hilly areas
across the national highway located along the southern fringe of the Park. Many such vulnerable animals are poached while some die after being hit by vehicles.
The national park lost 23 precious one-horned rhinos due to flood last year besides a large number of
other animals.
